Page 164 - CW E-Magazine (5-9-2023)

News from Abroad

POOLING RESOURCES

Nippon Shokubai and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to

jointly work on developing an ammonia cracking system

Japanese firms – Nippon Shokubai
and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) –
have reached an agreement on joint
development of an ammonia cracking
system, expecting establishment of a
hydrogen and ammonia supply chain
that enables high-volume transport.
nology indispensable for extracting process catalysts for acrylic acid and
Ammonia is garnering attention ammonia’s hydrogen component, and others, as well as environmental puri-
today as a hydrogen carrier that enables therefore it plays an important role in fication catalysts, including automotive
safe transport and storage of hydrogen, building supply chains. catalysts and exhaust gas catalysts. Nip-
a fuel that emits no CO when com- pon Shokubai will leverage its expertise
2
busted, in large volumes over great dis- In the newly agreed project to jointly gained from such catalytic technologies
tances. Plans to establish supply chains develop an optimal ammonia cracking in the development of the ammonia
are underway worldwide, notably in system using an ammonia cracking cata- cracking catalyst.
Europe, while in Japan a “fuel ammo- lyst, MHI will contribute its expertise
nia supply chain establishment” project delivering ammonia and other chemical The hydrogen extracted from the
is in progress. This market is expected plants, and its technologies in handling new cracking system can be utilised as
to grow in the years ahead. ammonia and hydrogen. Nippon Shokubai a clean fuel and raw material. MHI and
has developed and successfully imple- Nippon Shokubai are aiming to achieve
Ammonia “cracking” is a tech- mented numerous catalysts, such as for early commercialisation.

PROJECT PROGRESS

BP completes feasibility study for green hydrogen
hub in Australia

UK’s BP has finalised the concept
development phase study of a green
hydrogen project in Kwinana, Western
Australia, identifying two potential
base case scenarios for production. The
‘H2Kwinana’ energy hub, on the site of
BP’s old Kwinana oil refinery, will poten-
tially be able to deliver green hydrogen
to supply the local market and for
export. The Western Australian Govern-
ment announced the completion of the
feasibility study, saying the milestone
puts BP “a step closer to making a final of green hydrogen. A third case selected its existing on-site hydrogen pipeline.
investment decision.” a potential growth target of 429-tpd. The oil & gas major intends to use a por-
BP last year said the hub would include tion of the hydrogen for the production
In the study, two alternative base case an electrolyser of at least 75-MW, of renewable fuels, ammonia, metals &
scenarios were revealed, in which the hydrogen storage, compression and truck minerals processing, on-site gas blend-
hub produces either 44-tpd or 143-tpd loading facilities, as well as upgrades to ing and heavy-duty transport.

164 Chemical Weekly September 5, 2023

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